The BJP on Sunday swept the repoll in West Bengal’s Falta Assembly seat with a victory margin of 1.09 lakh votes that was once a stronghold of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which slipped to fourth and forfeited its deposit after its candidate did not put up a fight and announced his “withdrawal” from the contest on the last day of campaign. The CPI(M) finished second.Falta is part of TMC second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee’s Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency and had provided him a lead of over 1 lakh votes in the 2024 parliamentary elections.AdvertisementFollowing the victory of BJP candidate Debangshu Panda, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari wrote on social media, “The infamous ‘Diamond Harbour’ model has turned into the TMC’s ‘Har-Bar (perennial defeat)’ model. First and foremost, I bow my head in reverence to the public — the ultimate deity — of Falta … We will repay this debt of yours through development. We are committed to building a Golden Falta.”Targeting the TMC and Abhishek Banerjee, the CM said a “fraudster, who landed via parachute and was hailed as the commander, has committed every crime imaginable … Consequently, turning the previous election into a mockery, the TMC had taken a lead of 1.5 lakh votes in this Assembly constituency”. This election, he said, had revealed the “reality” and that a “long journey of rejection lies ahead” for the TMC”.কুখ্যাত ‘ডায়মন্ড হারবার’ মডেল পরিণত হলো ‘তৃণমূলের হার-বার’ মডেলে !!!সর্বপ্রথমে আমি ফলতা বিধানসভা আসনের পুনর্নির্বাচনে ভারতীয় জনতা পার্টির প্রার্থী শ্রী দেবাংশু পাণ্ডাকে বিপুল জনাদেশ দিয়ে বিধানসভায় পাঠানোর জন্য ফলতার জনতা-জনার্দন গণদেবতাকে নত মস্তকে প্রণাম জানাই। ফলতার…— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) May 24, 2026Following the declaration of results, Banerjee alleged “glaring inconsistencies” between the pace of counting on Sunday and May 4. The developments since then had been “deeply alarming” and struck at the “heart of free and fair elections”, he added.“The Falta AC repoll counting today exposes glaring inconsistencies. By 3.30 pm, all 21 rounds were completed. On May 4, by this time, only 2-4 rounds had taken place. The country deserves an explanation from the ECI. Although more than 1,000 workers from Falta have been forced to flee their homes in the last 10 days, the Election Commission continued to turn a blind eye. Party offices were vandalised in broad daylight, even when the Model Code of Conduct was in force,” Banerjee said, calling for accountability and an independent CCTV audit of the counting process.The Falta AC repoll counting today exposes glaring inconsistencies. By 3:30 pm in the afternoon today all 21 rounds were completed. On 4th May, till the same time, only 2- 4 rounds had taken place. The country deserves an explanation from the ECI.Although more than 1000…— Abhishek Banerjee (@abhishekaitc) May 24, 2026The votes were counted at the Diamond Harbour Women’s University. The poll panel had deployed 35 companies of Central forces in Falta for polling on May 21 and counting.AdvertisementThe scale of the TMC’s collapse is a warning signal for Abhishek — the heir apparent to Mamata Banerjee — who is already under fire from within his party. It may also lead to questions about his “Diamond Harbour model”, a governance and crisis management strategy that the TMC had claimed sets apart the parliamentary constituency from the rest.you may likeOn May 2, just two days before the results were declared, Abhishek had challenged the BJP leadership, saying 10 lifetimes would not be enough for it to “put even a dent” in his Diamond Harbour model. “Bring everything you have got. I challenge the entire Union of India — come to Falta. Send your strongest, send one of the godfathers from Delhi. If you have got the nerve, contest in Falta.”The TMC was once known for its grassroots organisational network, but without power, it appears to be disintegrating at an unprecedented pace. Party insiders said that the Falta debacle — the party did not field any agents at the counting centre on Sunday and struggled to find polling agents to man booths on voting day — shows it has lost its grip on booth-level management in a region that was once its citadel.The result may also open up the Opposition space in the state. Coming second is a major boost for the CPI(M), which will now feel emboldened to challenge the TMC for its status as the primary Opposition party. The Congress, which finished third, will also feel that it may be in with a chance to reshape the Opposition space, reversing years of shrinking footprint.